Jackson- The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks approved dates for the 2008-2009 waterfowl hunting season, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP).  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released late-season frameworks in early August providing a “window” of dates from which states may select specific season dates.

The duck, merganser, and coot seasons will open on November 27, 2008 and run continuously until January 25, 2009.  The duck daily bag limit will be a total of 6 ducks, including no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 3 mottled ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 scaup, 1 black duck, and 1 pintail.  The season on canvasbacks will be closed.  The merganser daily bag limit will be a total of 5 mergansers, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers.  Coots will have a 15-bird daily bag limit.  The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for ducks, mergansers, and coots.

Ed Penny, MDWFP Migratory Game Bird Program Coordinator, said “The most significant changes to this year’s bag limits include the 3-bird wood duck daily bag limit, the bag limit reduction of scaup to a 1-bird daily bag limit, and a closed canvasback season.” 

Late-season Canada goose and brant seasons will occur from November 17, 2008 – January 25, 2009.  Canada geese will have a 3-bird daily bag limit and brant will have a daily bag limit of 2 birds.  The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for Canada geese and brant.

Snow, blue, Ross’s, and white-fronted goose (white-fronted geese are known as “specklebellies” by many hunters) seasons will be from November 15, 2008 – January 25, 2009.  Snow, blue, and Ross’s geese will have a daily bag limit of 20 birds.  White-fronted geese will have a daily bag limit of 2 birds.  In addition to the regular hunting season, there will again be a conservation order for snow, blue, and Ross’s geese during the following dates:  October 1 – November 14, 2008; January 26 – January 30, 2009; and February 2 – March 31, 2009 (only snow, blue, and Ross’s geese may be taken during the light goose conservation order).  The possession limit for white-fronted geese is 4 and there is no possession limit for snow, blue, and Ross’s geese. 

“Similar to last year, we will extend the light goose conservation order on snow, blue, and Ross’s geese later into the year, because a few geese remain in Mississippi through the month of March” said Houston Havens, MDWFP Migratory Game Bird Program Biologist.  “This year, hunters will again have that extra opportunity.”

The youth waterfowl weekend will be the weekend of January 31 – February 1, 2009.